Charlie probably allergic to his food. :(

ldg · Jul 6, 2010

I managed to get his diarrhea under control after a couple of weeks, and successfully switched his food to c/d (all of our other cats are on the prescription, and since he's moving over here full time soon... ).

But his itching has gotten worse, and he does not have fleas or parasites.

He bites his feet, itches his cheeks, and scratches his ears.

I'm going to switch him to z/d for now (can get to vet for scrip food, but getting to a place that sells premium foods can be difficult).

I'm assuming I should make the switch slowly, like I would any food? It was so hot out today I didn't wait to chat with his vet, I just ran in and grabbed the food.

He is seeing Tuxie's vet Thursday morning.

strange_wings · Jul 6, 2010

You could, but considering that his current food is making him sick you might not have much to lose by switching him quicker. The z/d may be just fine for a sudden switch. Not every cat has issues with switching, it's mostly just a precaution because so many can.

I switched Sherman right to c/d, in his case he needed his UTI under control ASAP and grain free wasn't going to do that.

If you have problems getting script foods you could try ordering online. After you use the discounts that sites like petfood direct offer, plus the "automatic ship" discount if they're still doing that (you set it up so that they ship your food out automatically at a certain date, you can choose monthly, bi-monthly, etc), the cost will probably be the same as it would for you having to drive to go get it.
Sometimes they even offer free shipping on script foods or special sales on it.

ldg · Jul 6, 2010

Right - if he's responding like this to the food, the allergy is taxing his immune system, right?

I don't actually know what the issue with the diarrhea was. I had assumed that since it wasn't parasites it was switching foods too quickly. But as it's taken a rather hefty dose (for a cat) of acidophilus/bifidus to get it under control... it was probably the flora in his gut, not the food. I found out LATER he was FIV+ and that 20%-30% of cats with FIV have problems with chronic diarrhea.

Any idea how long after you eliminate an allergan the reaction stops when it's a food allergy? I've never had food allergies - everything I'm allergic to is stuff I breathe or that gets on me and can be washed off - and hives only last a couple of hours (usually).

strange_wings · Jul 6, 2010

His immune system (which is weird considering he's FIV) should calm down completely in a few weeks - I think 6 weeks is the standard to test a food? Is the vet treating the allergy with anything at all? Maybe even a low dose allergy med could help. Though, I really hope he doesn't have any environmental allergies...

Every stray cat (which is all of my cats, to be honest) that I've taken in has had stool issues that take a little while to settle down. Some adjust sooner than others. I think it's just the hard life of being a stray and not being particularly picky about where their meals came from, plus the change from having a parasite load to suddenly having none. Despite their grossness, worms usually keep the GI balanced enough so that it's habitual for them - that means keeping some of the bad bacteria from getting too over grown and making the colon environment toxic.

ldg · Jul 6, 2010

The really weird thing is that in three stool tests he never tested positive for any internal parasites (he was treated for them anyway).

I didn't consult the vet - we were just running errands that took us past the vet today and I decided last night I've got to explore the possibility that this is allergies. When she saw his ear (don't know if you remember when he scraped it on something) she eliminated any skin fungus or infection.

He's at the vet Thursday morning - this is a different vet (the one that saved Flowerbelle's and Tuxedo's lives), so we'll be getting a second opinion on Charlie's health.

strange_wings · Jul 6, 2010

If he was outside he had them. All it takes is him stepping where someone else pooped.

I hope the other vet can help you out with him.

carolina · Jul 6, 2010

Did this start only after you started giving Transfer Factor? Some cats are allergic to yeast, and here is what the symptoms can look like:

Symptoms of allergies in a cat include flaking of the skin, red skin lesions, mutilated skin, licking, rubbing, chewing or scratching of the skin. Some cats may develop small scabs or pull out tufts of their own fur.

Read more: Yeast Allergies in Cats | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_6104086_ye...#ixzz0sxE5mXjd

Are you sure this is the food?

ldg · Jul 6, 2010

Yup, I'm pretty sure it's the food. I know for sure it's not the TF, because I first noticed it... I'd have to go look it up. After he killed the mouse. I thought maybe he had fleas, and it was time for his revolution treatment. The itching seemed to go away. Then there was a bald spot on his ear - it had a very straight line on top, and no scratch marks - I found a sharp piece of metal used to hold the leg of the table in place during travel that was exactly at cat head height (actually Gary found it). So I don't know if it was intentional or not (now) - at the time I thought it was an accident - but it could have been itchy and just a convenient place to scratch it.

The TF arrived... Saturday. I've noticed his itching for at least two weeks, but becoming more and more noticeable as "itching" and not grooming. I would have gotten the z/d sooner, but the vet was closed Sunday and Monday for the holiday, and I didn't think it was an emergency per se.

In my other thread asking about the ingredients in TF vs the probiotics I was already using, Sharky gave me the heads up that yeast can be a problem. I figured out the yeast used is Brewer's Yeast, which is generally OK for most kitties (obviously why it's an ingredient LOL). In fact, his stools seem to be getting better, so I think the probiotic (lactic acid) and the yeast are actually helping his gut.

I decided to go ahead and just make the switch. The dry won't be available until tomorrow afternoon, but he doesn't eat much, so I just picked it up. He's had two small meals of the z/d so far. We'll see what happens.

carolina · Jul 6, 2010

Originally Posted by LDG

Yup, I'm pretty sure it's the food. I know for sure it's not the TF, because I first noticed it... I'd have to go look it up. After he killed the mouse. I thought maybe he had fleas, and it was time for his revolution treatment. The itching seemed to go away. Then there was a bald spot on his ear - it had a very straight line on top, and no scratch marks - I found a sharp piece of metal used to hold the leg of the table in place during travel that was exactly at cat head height (actually Gary found it). So I don't know if it was intentional or not (now) - at the time I thought it was an accident - but it could have been itchy and just a convenient place to scratch it.

The TF arrived... Saturday. I've noticed his itching for at least two weeks, but becoming more and more noticeable as "itching" and not grooming. I would have gotten the z/d sooner, but the vet was closed Sunday and Monday for the holiday, and I didn't think it was an emergency per se.

In my other thread asking about the ingredients in TF vs the probiotics I was already using, Sharky gave me the heads up that yeast can be a problem. I figured out the yeast used is Brewer's Yeast, which is generally OK for most kitties (obviously why it's an ingredient LOL). In fact, his stools seem to be getting better, so I think the probiotic (lactic acid) and the yeast are actually helping his gut.

I decided to go ahead and just make the switch. The dry won't be available until tomorrow afternoon, but he doesn't eat much, so I just picked it up. He's had two small meals of the z/d so far. We'll see what happens.

Ok... Z/D can be amazing.... It was a lifesaver for Hope, it worked when NOTHING else would. I tried so many things, finally Z/D did it. It is great because Bugsy, who is allergic to chicken, can eat it too. In fact, he likes it so much that he is now eating mostly wet instead of a mainly dry diet before Z/D.

Talk to your vet though - they can bring the price down considerably.

I was paying initially almost $3.00 a can - don't remember how much exactly, I think $2.79, and I am now down to $2.08/can.

I also just bought the treats - Lucky hates it, but she is super finicky anyways, but Hope and Bugsy both love it!!

I hope it works out for him!!!

ldg · Jul 7, 2010

Well, the report today is that he pooped yesterday afternoon, after his first z/d meal, so I think this morning's poop would have been what's in his system since z/d.

The bad news is it's diarrhea. The good news is IT DIDN'T SMELL AT ALL. I didn't know he'd pooped - and we always know when he's pooped, because it's always smelled. (never had a kitty with allergies before, and I guess that should have been a red flag.

).

My thinking is - the diarrhea may be his tummy from the sudden switch - but the food is agreeing with him, which is why the poop didn't smell. ??????? We'll give it a couple of days to see if his tummy settles down.

ldg · Jul 8, 2010

Charlie saw Tuxie's vet today - he gave him a clean bill of health and agreed with the local vet, he looks healthy and great, and his numbers (blood work) look great.

He did a skin scraping, and his skin problem is allergies. In his experience, allergies are usually environmental, not food, but it's worth the switch to see.

Charlie probably allergic to his food. :(

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